GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #1 DC COMICS
I was a big fan of the 2009 series and so when this new series was announced, I was torn. Loyal to old series, I have issues when they try to reboot things. Luckily writer Leah Williams seems to have given carte blanche. So no tie-in nonsense and a general sense of out of continuity storytelling. A really familiar yet unique story involving energy drinks, underground fight clubs, and Westworld robots with a little VR tossed in. Artist Matteo Lolli does a good job especially seeing as he has to deal with a script full of horses and buffalo. Looking to see if this one can keep it up. 8 out of 10 Grahams.
FAIRY TALE TEAM-UP ROBYN HOOD & JASMINE #1
Zenescope has decided that Robyn Hood is their told team-up star as she shows up as top billed in this newest Fairy Tale Team-Up one shot. Stolen artifacts, mind controlled djinn, collectors, flying carpets, Dave Franchini & David Wohl’s story throws in the kitchen sink. And like any good team-up book, there are a few open ended plot points for future issues. All in all a good team-up tale. I give it a 7 out of 10 Grahams.
POLICE COMICS #1 FACSIMILE EDITION #1 DC COMICS
Well, not exactly DC Comics. When Police Comics #1 came out in August of 1941, it was being published by “Busy” Arnold and the good folks at Quality Comics. Which also was putting out such gems as Smash Comics, Military Comics, and National Comics. Quality employed some of the most talented people in the business during those days. Names like Nick Cardy, Jack Cole, Will Eisner, Lou Fine, Bill Ward, and so many more on the art side. As they took stories from such writers as Toni Blum, Bill Finger, Gwen Hansen, William Woolfolk, and more than I have room to mention. In comics that measured out at 7-3/4″x10-1/2″, Quality produced an unimaginable line up of characters. It wouldn’t be until June of 1973 that some of these characters would appear under a DC logo in the pages of Justice League of America #107 for that year’s JLA/JSA team-up. Where writer Len Wein would join up with penciller Dick Dillin and inker Dick Giordano to reintroduce some of the Quality more popular characters and come up with the Freedom Fighters of Earth X (which was initially Earth – Swastica before editor Julius Schwartz vetoed the idea and it became Earth -X!) Back at the beginnings though this anthology series introduced us to Firebrand, #711, Super Snooper, Eagle Evans, Chic Carter-the Sword, Steele Kerrigan, The Mouthpiece, Phantom Lady, the Human Bomb, and Plastic Man. Initially, Firebrand was the lead and cover mainstay but Plastic Man quickly replaced him. Now that is a lot of comic for a mere 10 cents! And the best part of rereading these stories is the simplicity and anything goes mentality that went into these stories. Stories featuring ace pilots resided side by side with a strenchable sleuth that could turn into just about anything and scientists who’s body could blow things up simply by touching them. These truly were the good ole days! 10 out of 10 Grahams!
